There are substantive external demands for improved learner achievement, particularly in secondary schools, and increasingly, principals have to bear the pressures that accompany these demands. Instructional leadership concept is being advocated one of the approaches that school leaders may consider in order to promote a culture of teaching and learning within their schools. Therefore a qualitative case study was undertaken to explore instructional leadership practices of three secondary school principals in Umbumbulu Circuit. The focus of the study was based on the assumption that principals were instructional leaders as it was the expectation of government policy. The study therefore, did not seek to find out if principals in the study were indeed instructional leaders, but it sought to understand the manner in which they practicalised this expectation. In short, the study sought to gain an insight into how secondary school principals in this area enacted instructional leadership and why they enacted it the way they did. Three schools were selected among those schools that had experienced drastic improvement in their matric results in the past five years or so. The research design employed was qualitative and semi-structured interviews with three principals and three educators. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed for analysis. The results indicated that principals enacted instructional leadership practices by (a) sharing vision among members of the school (b) monitoring instructions (c) encouraging professional development of their teaching staff (d) ensuring that instructional time was not interrupted (e) furnishing professional materials and resources to the teachers (f) monitoring and discussion assessment issues with the teachers (g) recognising and rewarding good performance and (h) preparing and sustaining learning environment that is conducive to teaching and learning. The main aim was to enhance teaching and learning in the schools as these principals strongly believed that it was their responsibility to do so. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The main purpose of this research study is to investigate and analyse the role of the Principal towards effective educational leadership in selected Secondary schools in Waterberg Education District. The effectiveness of the educational leadership depends on the educational managers’ personal backgrounds, con-duciveness of the school climates, positive learning school cultures, availability of resources in the classrooms, utilisation of learner-teacher support material (LTSM), effective organisation of educational excursions, and other related issues. Principals, by virtue of their positions need to be empowered so as to coordinate activities and provide resources that can be used to enhance effect-tive educational leadership. The most important aspect pertaining to effective educational leadership in schools, is that it must be managed properly. This actually implies that correct and relevant resources should be provided to reinforce the quality of effective educational leadership. The primary study revealed that effective educational leadership cannot be achieved by school Principals in isolation, but through the School Management Team as a whole. Due to the nature of the study, the researcher has employed phenomenology, stratified random sampling and qualitative research design to achieve the in-tended goal of the research project. The researcher has also used case studies and interview research instruments to collect relevant data from twenty (20) SMT members in area of the study. The data collected through case studies and interviews was analysed by coding derived from audio tape recorder. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data whose findings were based on to make conclusions and recommendations. The results indicated that the role of the Principal contributes significantly to the quality of effective educational leadership. The results also showed that there is a need for continued support from the members of the School Management Teams. The need for support from the parents, SGBs and government in terms of resources, is vital. The abovementioned support, can also assist the Principals to make a positive impact on effective educational leadership. The researcher believes that, if the findings and the recommendations from the study can be applied properly, they can add value to the educational practice in Waterberg District in particular and Limpopo Province as a whole.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / School Management Team (SMT) members struggle to accommodate learners with diverse learning difficulties as prescribed by the Education White Paper 6. This is despite the workshops, which are conducted to develop SMTs to accommodate learners with disabilities and practice Inclusive Education (IE) in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the SMT’s competence in the implementation of Inclusive Education in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province. The study followed a qualitative approach where a case study design was adopted. Two officials from the Inclusive Education section of the Department of Education and six SMT members from three schools in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews, observations and document analysis. Data was analysed through content analysis, and followed the Creswell’s model of data analysis. The results of the study were as follows: there is a lack of human and physical resources, duration of time taken for conducting workshops was too short, and the lack of follow-up programmes. Therefore, these results may imply that the current professional model of teacher development through workshops is not effective, and that new strategies are needed to improve teacher development programmes. The study suggests that further areas of research should include time allocation for conducting workshops on Inclusive Education, resources allocation and follow-up programmes. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 were followed by far-reaching changes. Legislation was changed to entrench the democratic principles of the young democracy and to involve South African communities in decision-making. For example, the South African Schools Act (84 of 1996) was introduced to promote democracy and to transform society. It merged the different pre-1994 education departments, to build an education system on a non-discriminatory basis, to protect the education rights of learners and to give parents more power in school governance. The introduction of school governing bodies with certain powers and responsibilities was a significant step towards the decentralisation of power in the South African school system. The aim of the study was to explore the role of school governing bodies in recommending candidates for appointment as school principals and to establish what challenges they experienced. A qualitative research design was used to answer the research question. Personal interviews were held with eight governing body members of two schools and a departmental official. Data was generated by semi-structured questions, enabling participants to share their experiences and perceptions of the recommendation process. The data was subsequently analysed and findings stated. The literature review in Chapter 2 revealed huge challenges for parents on governing bodies, especially in previously disadvantaged schools, with parents‟ illiteracy as a key factor. The school governing bodies that participated in the study were heavily dependent on the guidance of the departmental official. They moreover admitted that they were unable to carry out the recommendation process without the official‟s guidance. Secondly, the research findings showed that the governing body members had little knowledge of education policies and were inadequately trained. This study attempted to gain a deeper understanding of the school governing bodies‟ perspectives of their own abilities. Despite the challenges they experienced, they believed that they were able to fulfil their duties and that they did not need any schooling to serve on the school governing body. The results indicate that the literacy levels of members of school governing bodies nevertheless do play a role in their ability to carry out their duties and activities and that more intensive training is needed to enhance their capacity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na die demokratiese verkiesing in 1994 het grootskaalse veranderinge in Suid-Afrika plaasgevind. Wetgewing is verander om gestalte te gee aan die demokratiese beginsels van die jong demokrasie en om die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap te betrek in sekere besluitnemings. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet (84 van 1996) is byvoorbeeld ingestel om demokrasie te bevorder en om die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing te transformeer. Dit het die verskillende onderwysdepartemente van voor 1994 verenig om die onderwysongelykhede van die verlede reg te stel, leerders se regte ten opsigte van opvoeding te beskerm en die ouergemeenskap groter inspraak in en deelname aan skoolbeheer te gee. Skoolbeheerliggame is ingestel met sekere magte en verantwoordelikhede. Die vestiging van skoolbeheerliggame verteenwoordig ʼn betekenisvolle desentralisasie van mag in die Suid-Afrikaanse skolestelsel. Hierdie navorsing het beoog om die rol wat skoolbeheerliggame speel in die aanbeveling van kandidate vir aanstelling as prinsipale in skole na te vors en vas te stel watter uitdagings hulle ervaar. Om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord, is ‟n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp gebruik. Data is verkry deur persoonlike onderhoude te voer met agt lede van twee skole se skoolbeheerliggame en een departementele amptenaar. Semi-gestruktureerde vrae het deelnemers in staat gestel om hul eie ervarings en persepsies van die aanbevelingsproses te beskryf. Daarna is die data ontleed en bevindings gemaak. Die literatuurstudie in hoofstuk 2 dui aan dat daar groot uitdagings is vir ouers op skoolbeheerliggame, veral in voorheen benadeelde skole, as gevolg van die ongeletterdheid van die ouers. Die skoolbeheerliggame in hierdie studie toon groot afhanklikheid van die hulp van die departementele amptenaar en erken selfs dat hulle nie die aanbevelingsproses sonder die hulp van dié amptenaar sou kon uitvoer nie. Tweedens is daar ook bevind dat die skoolbeheerliggame min kennis het van onderwyswetgewing en dat hul opleiding baie gebrekkig is. Hierdie studie het ook gepoog om ʼn dieper insig te verkry van die skoolbeheerliggame se perspektiewe van hul eie vermoëns. Ten spyte van die tekortkominge wat die lede van die skoolbeheerliggame ervaar, glo hulle dat hulle opgewasse is vir die taak en dat hulle geen skolastiese opleiding benodig om in ‟n skoolbeheerliggaam te dien nie. Die resultate toon egter dat die geletterdheidsvlakke van die lede van skoolbeheerliggame wel ʼn rol speel in die uitvoering van hul pligte en werksaamhede en dat meer intensiewe opleiding nodig is om hul kapasiteit te verhoog.

This study explored the role of School Management Teams (SMTs) in leading and managing school-based teacher professional development. This was a case study of three schools from Mafukuzela-Gandhi circuit in Pinetown district. Participants comprised twelve Principals, Deputy Principal, HODs and teachers who were involved in one-toone interviews (for principals) and focus group interviews (for deputy principals, HODs and teachers). Data were also collected through observations and document analysis. According to the information from participants, school-based teacher professional development is necessary because in schools there are unqualified teachers, inexperienced teachers and teachers who qualified a long time ago. All these categories of educators need to be trained and equipped with skills and knowledge that would enable them to teach effectively and efficiently. Findings show that SMTs hold meetings to identify specific problems facing teachers in schools with the intention to assist teachers to overcome the problems they face, SMTs organise school-based training workshops. The challenges that face SMTs in executing school-based teacher professional development include: non-involvement of teachers in decision-making; incompetence of some SMTs in running the workshops; lack of cooperation from teachers and negative attitudes of some teachers who do not want to change. The study concludes by suggesting a modified model of a professional development design framework that can be utilised to minimise SMTs' challenges in school-based teachers‟ professional development. / Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

With education at the centre of the South African government’s National Development Plan for 2030, an effective schooling system is not negotiable. A review of the literature showed that public schools in South Africa are self-managing. The performance of most of these schools are unsatisfactory with specific reference to academic performance, infrastructure, finances and resources. The review further revealed severe shortcomings with the use of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) for school-based performance management. This included that the IQMS is insufficient, that its application is ineffective and that it does not support school-based performance management. It is a compliance system and does not allow schools’ stakeholders the freedom to take part in designing their own strategy for the school. The researcher argues that self-managing schools link to the Participatory Democracy Theory that ensures the involvement of stakeholders. The IQMS however, links to Managerialism, rejecting stakeholders’ independence of self-management and decision-making. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a school-based performance management framework for public schools in South Africa. Specific attention was given to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a theoretical framework for its flexibility to accommodate diverse organisations. The BSC was placed in the Evolutionist theories under the Resource-Based View (RBV) approach, focussing on the uniqueness of organisations’ tangible or intangible resources. The researcher argued that a combination of the IQMS and the BSC might close the theoretical gap and contribute to school-based performance management in self-managing public schools. A qualitative research paradigm, embedded in the interpretivism philosophy, guided this study. A Design-Based Research (DBR) method was followed to develop the framework. The first phase was to develop a preliminary framework, using the IQMS and BSC as existing theoretical frameworks. The second phase consisted of two iterative cycles of testing and refinement of the framework in practice. For both cycles, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with the school’s principal, one member of the school’s governing body and one member of the school’s management team of the four selected schools. The third phase was a reflection on the design process to enhance the application of the framework. / College of Accounting Sciences / D. Compt.

MEd (Educational Management) / Department of Educational Management / See the attached abstract below